Kayla E. Little, 21, of Madison was charged today in Dane County Circuit Court with one count of mistreating animals causing death. According to the charging document, Little strangled her pet cat to death because it attacked her daughter. She told officers she felt as though she was "out of options", despite an earlier call to a veterinary clinic where she was given information on multiple organizations who would accept the cat. Little allegedly did not call the humane society because she didn't ask the veterinary office for the number, didn't have data on her phone to look it up, and didn't have a car to take the cat there for surrender. Instead, she admits to strangling the cat with her bare hands, stating "it felt like it took forever but think it was only a couple of minutes." The defendant also told officers she buried the cat in a box in the woods.

Little's next hearing will be held on February 1, 2016 at 1:30 PM at the Dane County Courthouse in Madison, WI.